Page 89 of The Mistletoe Bluff
I closed my eyes and the snow crunched beneath his footsteps as he went…somewhere.
Oliver started whistling—a song from Mario Kart of all things—and I fought the urge to open my eyes and peek at what he was doing.
As if sensing it, he crooned, “Don’t you dare look, princess. I’m almost done.”
“Done with what?”
“You’ll see.”
I forced myself to focus on the soft brush of snowflakes hitting my skin so I wouldn’t be tempted to open my eyes. After another couple of minutes, hot lips pressed against my forehead.
“Okay, you can look now.” His voice shook, just a little.
When I opened my eyes, I had to cover my mouth to hold in a gasp.
Laying on the snow in front of the lit-up evergreen were dozens—no, hundreds—of rose petals. I took a step back, then another, to read what they spelled.
“‘Real girlfriend?’” I read aloud.
Oliver cleared his throat and I turned to find him on one knee behind me.
This time I couldn’t contain my gasp.
His answering smile had my heart stuttering. “Don’t worry, I’m not proposing, princess.” His grin stretched wider. “Not yet, anyway.”
“Then why are you on one knee?”
“I wanted you to understand how serious I am about this—about us.” His breath clouded in the air as he blew it out. “I’m crazy about you, Maya, and I don’t need to tell you again that I have been for a long, long time.”
He stood, taking my hands in his. “But I want you, Maya. I want you to be myrealgirlfriend. Enough of the faking and facade. I want you by my side, holding my hand. I want to be a part of making your dreams come true. I don’t want to hold you back—I want to launch you forward. Whatever that looks like.”
Oliver raised my hand to kiss the back of it. “I want a future with you, Maya, and this is the first step. Will you be my girlfriend? Myrealgirlfriend?”
The funny thing was, a few weeks ago I would have said no. I would have laughed in his face and walked away, terrified to let him get any closer for fear of him leaving me.
But standing here now, seeing the way he looked at me, feeling his hands in mine…I couldn’t even fathom a world without Oliver Lewis in it.
Nor did I want one.
I loved that he wasn’t rushing me and that he wanted me to chase my dreams and stay by my side the entire time.
I never dreamed I’d find such a love—such a man.
I leaned forward onto my toes, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.
“Yes, Oliver. I’d love to be your girlfriend.”
His eyes lit up, brighter than the tree behind me. Unable to stand being apart any longer, I leaped into his embrace, wrapping my arms around his neck and legs around his hips. Oliver didn’t miss a beat, holding me tight.
“See? Christmas magicdoesexist,” he said, looking up at me with the sweetest smile.
I returned the smile, pressing my lips to his. Then I pulled back, putting a hand to his cheek. With a shake of my head, I said, “No, this isn’t Christmas magic…” My fingers tightened on the back of his neck, his blue eyes piercing into mine.
“This isourmagic, Oliver. And it’s the best kind.”
Maya
Six Months Later
